Appeal for RC parts for a childrens' project

[tymill]

Dear oOple community,

Many of you will know that I am a secondary school science teacher in an inner-city comprehensive school in Central London (www.sccs.camden.sch.uk)

In July, I am leading a one-week project for 20 students from ages 12-15 to design, build and race radio race cars.

The aim is for the students to build 5 cars of their own design from used components. Then, they will race them around the school quad on the last day of term in mid-July.

The majority of the boys and girls are from very disadvantaged backgrounds, and few have yet had any experience with RC cars or equipment.

Though they will run "mildly off road", the cars will likely be of quite simple design depending on the donor bits we're able to collect together. I'm hoping to scrounge up drive train components from bits of old buggys or road cars - I've got a couple of old falcons to cannibalise for starters.

At the moment, I have enough radio txs and rxs for the 5 cars, and enough "bits" from odd scraps of old tamiya cars and spares from my racing cars etc to build at least two cars. I've also got a very limited budget of about 200 pounds to spend, but I know that can only go so far...

An appeal:
I would greatly appreciate the donation of any RC parts or assemblies that you might be able to contribute - new, old, surplus, broken... any and all bits are useful

Most useful would be:

• whole vehicles - even toys
• bodyshells for TCs, Trucks or Buggies (paint or condition not important)
• nimh "shotgun" stick packs with shrink-wraped insulation (read: kid-safe)
• basic tools - like "tamiyatools", kit allenkeys, and small screwdrivers or pliers
• brushed escs. (eg. tamiya 101bk)
• servos and radio gear
• any sort of "motor pods" with axles - simple on-road stuff would be great, but even the broken back half of a grasshopper or something would be excellent.
• front end parts, esp steering blocks with bearings and wheels.
• Literally any sort of RC-related parts would be appreciated - kids are quite imaginative!

If you can help out, it would play a big part in helping to make this great project more fruitful for these young boys and girls, and you can know that your spare parts that may be collecting dust will be put to good use inspiring the creativity and learning of young people!

The benefits that the students will gain from the project are immense: teamwork, applying maths, design and technology skills, scientific testing, developing eye-hand coordination, and the sense of accomplishment from building up a car from scratch.

Thanks for taking a moment to consider what spare bits you might have around.

I will be at the oOple Invernational, and I attend most of the SE regional events. Hope to see you there! Otherwise, items can be posted to me at the school's address below.

Cheers,
Tiyen Miller
Science Teacher
South Camden Community School
www.sccs.camden.sch.uk

SCCS
Charrington Street
London
NW1 1RG